Welcome to the Bananas.org forums. You're currently viewing our message boards as a guest which gives you limited access to participate in discussions and access our other features such as our wiki and photo gallery. By joining our community, you'll have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload photos, and access many other special features. Registration is fast and simple, so please join our community today! If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. |
|
Register | Photo Gallery | Classifieds | Wiki | Chat | Map | Today's Posts | Search |
Main Banana Discussion This is where we discuss our banana collections; tips on growing bananas, tips on harvesting bananas, sharing our banana photos and stories. |
Members currently in the chatroom: 0 | |
The most chatters online in one day was 17, 09-06-2009. No one is currently using the chat. |
Email this Page |
|
LinkBack | Thread Tools |
08-18-2013, 10:19 AM | #1 (permalink) |
Location: West Los Angeles
Zone: 10b
Name: Craig
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 73
BananaBucks
: 31,807
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 74 Times
Was
Thanked 43 Times in 24 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 8 Times
|
Bluefield Banana Variety (Hawaii)?
Hello,
Newbie here and wanted to ask a question related to a banana variety my father used to eat growing up in Hawaii. He said it was called Bluefield and the fruit was likely close to the "regular" sized supermarket variety (larger than the Apple Bananas). Google search turns up very little on this variety aside from the fact that it might be prone to disease. Does anyone know anything about this type of banana? Thanks! |
Sponsors |
08-18-2013, 10:46 AM | #2 (permalink) |
Happy Growing Location: Beaumont Texas
Zone: 8b, but 9b weather..
Name: Migael / Michael
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 9,492
BananaBucks
: 197,463
Feedback: 45 / 100%
Said "Thanks" 10,447 Times
Was
Thanked 16,440 Times in 5,237 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2,318 Times
|
Re: Bluefield Banana Variety (Hawaii)?
|
08-18-2013, 10:53 AM | #3 (permalink) |
Location: Kansas
Zone: 6a
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 595
BananaBucks
: 87,717
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 1,396 Times
Was
Thanked 939 Times in 334 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 44 Times
|
Re: Bluefield Banana Variety (Hawaii)?
Bluefield is a type of Gros Michel. Gros Michels used to be the supermarket standard up until the 50's when Panama disease decimated them and made commercial production impractical. Cocos and Highgate are two other types of Gros Michel (all 3 types are said to taste the same).
Gros Michels were replaced by various types of Cavendish bananas (such as Dwarf Cavendish, Grand Nain, Williams, Valery, etc). The Dole & Chiquita bananas you see taking up the most space at stores now are Cavendish types. Gros Michel bananas are genetically similar to Cavendish (both are AAA), and both make big yellow fruit, but Gros Michel fruits are widely considered to be vastly superior in flavor. One of our members in San Diego, Jon at Encanto Farms (here's a direct link to his availability page with contact info), sells Cocos. I've bought one from him, and it was a big healthy plant. If you can get one of those and get it to flourish (which may need some help since it's extremely cold sensitive), the fruit would taste like the Bluefields of your Dad's youth.
__________________
Set out runnin', but I'll take my time; a friend of bananas is a friend of mine. www.GreenFinGardens.com Last edited by GreenFin : 08-18-2013 at 05:03 PM. |
Said thanks: |
08-18-2013, 02:51 PM | #4 (permalink) |
Rob
Location: Kalapana, Hawaii
Zone: 11
Name: Rob
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,506
BananaBucks
: 261,268
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 1,320 Times
Was
Thanked 4,961 Times in 1,080 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 204 Times
|
Re: Bluefield Banana Variety (Hawaii)?
It was called Bluefields in Hawaii because they were initially brought from the port town of Bluefields, Nicaragua.
|
Said thanks: |
08-18-2013, 08:29 PM | #5 (permalink) |
Location: West Los Angeles
Zone: 10b
Name: Craig
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 73
BananaBucks
: 31,807
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 74 Times
Was
Thanked 43 Times in 24 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 8 Times
|
Re: Bluefield Banana Variety (Hawaii)?
Thanks everyone for the info (definitely much more informative than Google). I'll pass this along to my Dad (I think he was curious if it would grow here in LA). Talking to him today, he mentioned that it wasn't even commonly found in Kaneohe (western side of Oahu), but his father planted a handful of plants alongside his house.
|
Said thanks: |
Sponsors |
08-18-2013, 11:05 PM | #6 (permalink) |
<div style="font-style: italic;"><div style="font-style: italic;"></div></div> Location: SFV, California
Zone: USDA zone 10a; Sunset zone 18/19
Name: Andreas
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 2,301
BananaBucks
: 251,488
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 1,474 Times
Was
Thanked 2,196 Times in 1,148 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 236 Times
|
Re: Bluefield Banana Variety (Hawaii)?
I don't think Gros Michel types are very fond of our winters. They are quite cold sensitive. It's worth a try though, especially since you're closer to the coast.
__________________
"The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings." ~ Masanobu Fukuoka Find me on linktree here as Solarpunk Farmer: https://linktr.ee/solarpunkfarmer |
Said thanks: |
03-30-2014, 07:00 AM | #7 (permalink) | |
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 41
BananaBucks
: 5,838
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 10 Times
Was
Thanked 26 Times in 17 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times
|
Re: Bluefield Banana Variety (Hawaii)?
Quote:
|
|
03-30-2014, 09:19 AM | #8 (permalink) |
Commercial Grower
Location: Florida & Greater Antilles
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,551
BananaBucks
: 4,822
Feedback: 16 / 100%
Said "Thanks" 2,902 Times
Was
Thanked 12,476 Times in 3,627 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 3,204 Times
|
Re: Bluefield Banana Variety (Hawaii)?
It kinda seems strange they would be brought from a Caribbean Port prior to the Panama Canal being built, a Pacific Port in Nicaragua seems more likely.
__________________
Last edited by PR-Giants : 08-28-2015 at 11:50 PM. |
Said thanks: |
03-30-2014, 02:05 PM | #9 (permalink) |
Rob
Location: Kalapana, Hawaii
Zone: 11
Name: Rob
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,506
BananaBucks
: 261,268
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 1,320 Times
Was
Thanked 4,961 Times in 1,080 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 204 Times
|
Re: Bluefield Banana Variety (Hawaii)?
That does seem strange, but that's the story in the Kepler & Rust book anyway. They were introduced in 1903 and in 1904 a steamship from Bluefields brought 130 large corms.
|
08-28-2015, 11:49 PM | #10 (permalink) | |
Commercial Grower
Location: Florida & Greater Antilles
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,551
BananaBucks
: 4,822
Feedback: 16 / 100%
Said "Thanks" 2,902 Times
Was
Thanked 12,476 Times in 3,627 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 3,204 Times
|
Re: Bluefield Banana Variety (Hawaii)?
Quote:
This never made any sense and I was reading a 1904 paper that stated that they were introduced in early 1903 and again later that same year. A later paper stated the 1904 shipment of 130 corms sailed from San Francisco.
__________________
|
|
Said thanks: |
08-29-2015, 07:45 AM | #11 (permalink) | |
Muck bananas
Location: Pahokee, FL
Zone: 10
Name: Nick
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 2,217
BananaBucks
: 461,236
Feedback: 7 / 100%
Said "Thanks" 66 Times
Was
Thanked 5,663 Times in 1,562 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 7 Times
|
Re: Bluefield Banana Variety (Hawaii)?
Quote:
They probably shipped them across the country. |
|
08-29-2015, 08:16 AM | #12 (permalink) |
Commercial Grower
Location: Florida & Greater Antilles
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,551
BananaBucks
: 4,822
Feedback: 16 / 100%
Said "Thanks" 2,902 Times
Was
Thanked 12,476 Times in 3,627 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 3,204 Times
|
Re: Bluefield Banana Variety (Hawaii)?
Actually they were shipped to New Orleans and railed to San Francisco.
They were probably just included in a larger shipment of corms from the Puerto Rico Experimental Station. Introduced Banana Cultivars in Hawaii
__________________
Last edited by PR-Giants : 08-29-2015 at 09:22 AM. |
08-29-2015, 11:00 AM | #13 (permalink) |
Rob
Location: Kalapana, Hawaii
Zone: 11
Name: Rob
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,506
BananaBucks
: 261,268
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 1,320 Times
Was
Thanked 4,961 Times in 1,080 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 204 Times
|
Re: Bluefield Banana Variety (Hawaii)?
The book doesn't give references and is designed to be consumer friendly and only has minimal endnotes. It was introduced in 1903 by a agriculturalist at the Territorial Board of Agriculture and Forestry in Hilo, with 130 corms brought in the next year. While Dwarf Cavendish was grown, the book states that Williams was brought here in 1954 and became the predominant replacement for GM groves that were decimated around 1950, although there were signs of Panama Disease by 1911 here. Cultivation was under 500 acres by 1969, mostly not on Oahu.
|
Said thanks: |
08-29-2015, 11:59 AM | #14 (permalink) | |
Location: Long Beach, California
Zone: 10
Name: Susan Lau
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 573
BananaBucks
: 77,479
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 9,337 Times
Was
Thanked 948 Times in 343 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 624 Times
|
Re: Bluefield Banana Variety (Hawaii)?
Quote:
Last edited by Lau : 08-29-2015 at 12:42 PM. Reason: Add photo |
|
Said thanks: |
08-29-2015, 02:08 PM | #15 (permalink) | |
Commercial Grower
Location: Florida & Greater Antilles
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,551
BananaBucks
: 4,822
Feedback: 16 / 100%
Said "Thanks" 2,902 Times
Was
Thanked 12,476 Times in 3,627 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 3,204 Times
|
Re: Bluefield Banana Variety (Hawaii)?
Quote:
Introduced by Mr. Philip Peck of Hilo early in 1903, and again by the Board of Agriculture and Forestry at the close of the same year. Report after December 26, 1904 It was introduced into Hawaii early in 1903 by Philip Peck, of Hilo, and by the Territorial Board of Agriculture and Forestry near the close of the same year. The following year the station introduced 130 "heads," or bases of large suckers, from the port of Bluefields, Nicaragua. These reached Honolulu December 26, 1904, via New Orleans and San Francisco. After this introduction the banana was generally known as the Bluefields (No. 4544). Should be easy enough to check.
__________________
|
|
Said thanks: |
08-29-2015, 06:27 PM | #16 (permalink) |
Location: West Los Angeles
Zone: 10b
Name: Craig
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 73
BananaBucks
: 31,807
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 74 Times
Was
Thanked 43 Times in 24 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 8 Times
|
Re: Bluefield Banana Variety (Hawaii)?
Hi Susan,
I'll see if he can give me a positive ID on your pics. Guessing he likely won't remember too many details since this was about 40+ years ago. I'll report back with any info. |
Said thanks: |
Sponsors |
08-29-2015, 11:15 PM | #17 (permalink) |
Muck bananas
Location: Pahokee, FL
Zone: 10
Name: Nick
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 2,217
BananaBucks
: 461,236
Feedback: 7 / 100%
Said "Thanks" 66 Times
Was
Thanked 5,663 Times in 1,562 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 7 Times
|
Re: Bluefield Banana Variety (Hawaii)?
I don't know...that station would have been relatively new at that time.
|
08-30-2015, 08:20 AM | #18 (permalink) | |
Commercial Grower
Location: Florida & Greater Antilles
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,551
BananaBucks
: 4,822
Feedback: 16 / 100%
Said "Thanks" 2,902 Times
Was
Thanked 12,476 Times in 3,627 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 3,204 Times
|
Re: Bluefield Banana Variety (Hawaii)?
Quote:
Hacienda Carmen
__________________
|
|
08-30-2015, 12:38 PM | #19 (permalink) |
Muck bananas
Location: Pahokee, FL
Zone: 10
Name: Nick
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 2,217
BananaBucks
: 461,236
Feedback: 7 / 100%
Said "Thanks" 66 Times
Was
Thanked 5,663 Times in 1,562 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 7 Times
|
Re: Bluefield Banana Variety (Hawaii)?
Was Bluefields in Puerto Rico at the time? I would think it more likely that PR would have had Highgate from Jamaica.
|
08-30-2015, 02:54 PM | #20 (permalink) | |
Commercial Grower
Location: Florida & Greater Antilles
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,551
BananaBucks
: 4,822
Feedback: 16 / 100%
Said "Thanks" 2,902 Times
Was
Thanked 12,476 Times in 3,627 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 3,204 Times
|
Re: Bluefield Banana Variety (Hawaii)?
Yes
Quote:
@Nick...what year do you think the Highgate mutation is believed to have first appeared?
__________________
|
|
Sponsors |
Email this Page |
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | |
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Hawaii Breadfruit and Banana festival pics & comments | robguz24 | Main Banana Discussion | 22 | 02-25-2021 01:03 PM |
Unknown banana in Hawaii | robguz24 | Banana Identification | 3 | 05-26-2012 12:01 PM |
Pahoa, Hawaii Island, State of Hawaii | DOMinPuna | Member Introductions | 5 | 10-26-2010 06:00 PM |
Hawaii banana ID? | JCDerrick | Banana Identification | 20 | 01-06-2010 01:35 PM |
Hawaii Banana Video | harveyc | Main Banana Discussion | 14 | 03-31-2009 03:22 PM |